I hope this thread isn't dying. There were some really awesome photos posted here.

Yes I hope it isn't as well, there were some excellent pictures. I had originally withdrawn from posting pictures here, but a I was reminded by a phrase from 4 gentleman from Liverpool recently.

"Life is very short and there's not time for fusing and fighting my friends".

So I will put in an occasional appearance here, as I do seem to collect a few pictures.

I will start with the oldest one from the end of Jan, I have been trying to for a while to get a good picture of the pheasants that visit dads garden on a daily basis, but they are shy and scare easily.

However by keeping very still I was able to get this shot through the glass kitchen door.



I think it could just see me moving.

Also another wildlife one, I think I could almost use this one in the caption thread.



A green woodpecker searching for ants on the lawn.

Here is one where I actually learnt something. While trying to get pictutures of a flock of Brent Geese, I notice an RNLI lifeboat in the background.





It was too far away to get a good shot, however it reminded me to look up the odd history of the tower in the background.

"Sway Tower, built by Andrew Thomas Turton Peterson on his private estate from 1879–1885, its design (and the use of concrete) was influenced by the follies Peterson had seen during his time in India. It is constructed entirely out of concrete made with Portland cement, with only the windows having iron supports. It remains the tallest non-reinforced concrete structure in the world."


You learn something every day :-)

Here is another thing you don't see everyday.



The Belgian Naval Minehunter Lobelia. As far as I am aware it is the first BNS ship I have ever seen.

The Solent (the channel of water between the Isle of Wight and the mainland) has been quite busy lately, with the UK Border Force Vessel Seeker slipping through recently.



And finally of course today is Shrove Tuesday

And the square in Yarmouth looked like this for the pancake races.



Now it wasn't the races that caught my eye , rather the alpacas standing by the crowd.



They came from here West Wight Alpacas

Not really sure why they were there but I can definately say it is the first time I have seen alpacs or llamas in the square at Yarmouth.



They looked quite relaxed, even the starting horn for the races didn't seem to worry them.

Great shots, thanks.

Pileated woodpecker on my suet feeder from last fall. Couple times a year they stop by if I'm lucky.

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It's a clivia. It is far, far away from it's indigenous habitat, which is southern Africa. I have dozens of them in my garden in Randburg, Johannesburg.

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I'm sooooo glad to see you back, Bernie!

Let's just remind everyone now: These photos are copyrighted. They are the property of the photographer/
poster. Do not repost them anywhere without the express permission of the photographer.

Thank you.

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~Sue~

And the square in Yarmouth looked like this for the pancake races.

How does one persuade pancakes to race?

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~Sue~

And the square in Yarmouth looked like this for the pancake races.

How does one persuade pancakes to race?

A hungry Alpaca standing just behind the start line should get them going...

It's a clivia. It is far, far away from it's indigenous habitat, which is southern Africa. I have dozens of them in my garden in Randburg, Johannesburg.

I would have sad some sort of amaryllis. Is a clivia a type of amaryllis?

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~Sue~

While Chris was enjoying the early spring blooming in his garden a few hundred miles North in Preston:

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Bob Smith
Member of Seti PIPPS (Pluto is a Planet Protest Society)
Somewhere in the (un)known Universe?

Nice pics Chris , spring's in Suffolk to got daffodils , snowdrops & aconites poking their heads thro here , would post pics but ain't going to open up another acount at another site just to do that , will post a link to em on onedrive in a bit :-)

Link to onedrive file

https://1drv.ms/f/s!AvDWSHYdwJaGgRgvLszpTmqAKxDc

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Life is what you make of it :-)

When i'm good i'm very good , but when i'm bad i'm shi#eloads better ;-) In't I " buttercups " p.m.s.l at authoritie !!;-)

We had snow yesterday. I am awaiting an early Spring so my pool garden will bloom again to look like this. I really like these Star Lilies

OK, got the modified link now. Quite a large back garden, further scope there :-) You have a utility pole as well? Hope they are paying you rent through a Wayleave agreement. Nice views all round.

The back garden ends where the pic of the daffs is , the rest is allotment that no one apart from us uses we just have bonfires on it , but keep it tidy coz of the brambles would take over if we didn't . Look on google earth IP12 1PZ mine's the last house on the left down bottom of the cul de sac and it will become clearer . Google earth is about 10 / 15 years out of date there's ramps here now + the big factory ( Girldlestone pumps ) ain't there now Suffolk Coastal Council have built their new H/Q there now but the village is basicly the same :-) ( the "twin" bases 4/5 miles away )

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Life is what you make of it :-)

When i'm good i'm very good , but when i'm bad i'm shi#eloads better ;-) In't I " buttercups " p.m.s.l at authoritie !!;-)

A few random pictures from the last few days.

I went back to London this week for a check up appointment with the urologist and luckily my PSA is normal for a man of my age!

On the drive back I stopped off in the village of Lyndhurst. Where there were several of the famous "New Forest ponies" about.




Whilst "owned" they have the free range of the forest to graze.

Also on a nearby hill I found one of these



A Trig point

Don't think I have seen one before.

The view from the hill of the surrounding countryside was quite spectacular.




I think my favourite picture of the day was this.



Quintessentially English, church spire horses(well ponies) grazing in fields.

Today I was up on the hill opposite Hurst point on the mainland when the dredger Sand Heron sailed past.



And finally a couple of old signs on the inn wall in Yarmouth.



Like the phone numbers 32 and 20!!

Sadly the railway stations at both Freshwater and Yarmouth are long gone.

Quintessentially English, church spire horses(well ponies) grazing in fields.

Very nice. What's the story about that massive tree inside the stone wall?

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The mind is a weird and mysterious place

Well it seems that the nasty 24F frost did affect the Magnolia tree after all. It only bloomed a week ago, now it's shedding it's petals over the place. Usually lasts a month at least.

That's very pretty, and amazing it was in full bloom like that this early. There's nothing that comes out like that this time of year in my neck of the woods. Nothing like the southern Magnolia we used to have in the front yard, either. Ours had huge white flowers(like something out of Lost in Space), not delicate petals like yours, and big glossy green leaves. It would drop leaves, but stayed pretty much evergreen, as I can remember. I need to find a picture album with it in it. We had a huge holly tree next to it, and between the two, you could barely see the house!

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The mind is a weird and mysterious place

What's the story about that massive tree inside the stone wall?

Well you have spotted a most interesting tree and story.

Lyndhurst is notable in English folklore for being the supposed location of a dragon-slaying. The local tradition is that a dragon had his den at Burley Beacon in Burley. There are several versions of the tale, one being that the creature "flew" every morning to Bisterne, where it would be supplied with milk. To kill the dragon, a valiant knight (usually named Berkeley) built a hide, and with two dogs lay in wait. The creature came as usual one morning for its milk, and when the hut door was opened the dogs attacked it, and while thus engaged the knight took the dragon by surprise, the dogs dying in the affray. The fight raged throughout the forest, with the dragon finally dying outside Lyndhurst, its corpse turning into a great hill (now known as Boltons Bench). Though the knight had defeated the dragon he had been mentally broken by the battle, and after thirty days and thirty nights he went back to Boltons Bench to die alone atop it, his body turning into the yew tree which can still be seen today.

Folklore at it's best.

Enjoying those nice pics
Some more springtime pics please.

Yes, of course it hurts when buds are breaking.
Why else would the springtime falter?
Why would all our ardent longing
bind itself in frozen, bitter pallor?
After all, the bud was covered all the winter.
What new thing is it that bursts and wears?
Yes, of course it hurts when buds are breaking,
hurts for that which grows and that which bars.

I was at Wal-Mart this morning and saw something I was not expecting.

Then I walked over and saw a nesting mound under the goose. This picture was close enough so I could have reached out and touched the goose. There is a food bowl and water container behind the goose.

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Like the phone numbers 32 and 20!!

In days gone by I would expect that if you phoned #32 and the operator knew that everyone was out delivering around the village they would know which phone to ring - who needs mobile phones when there is a good human a bit further along the chain?

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Bob Smith
Member of Seti PIPPS (Pluto is a Planet Protest Society)
Somewhere in the (un)known Universe?